Marcella: Don't lose lose the labyrinthine plot

Marcella… the story so far. Answers on a postcard please. I think I might have grasped some of it, but I remain in a general state of confusion. Maybe I’m just thick.

Anna Friel in Marcella

Marcella… the story so far. Answers on a postcard please. I think I might have grasped some of it, but I remain in a general state of confusion. Maybe I’m just thick.

Nothing wrong with a challenging drama. Intellectual innit. But ITV’s multiple murder mystery is so complicated it’s best to take notes. And don’t take your eyes off the screen for a second. Or you’ll lose the labyrinthine plot.

That said, set against a foreboding London background, this dark tale of intrigue is superior stuff. If a little exhausting. So many stories to follow it’s hard to keep up. I’m worn out.

On the plus side, it seems that Marcella (Anna Friel) has triumphantly cleared herself of killing the woman who stole her husband. Yay.

And in an excellent interrogation showdown our unstable heroine established that the evil Peter Cullen (Ian Puleston-Davies) wasn’t quite the premier league monster the police were looking for. Compelling scenes as he was exposed as a pathetic second division copycat.

But on the down side, there’s an awful lot of verbiage about Lambeth Council’s thrilling planning department and an environmentally unfriendly tower block. Hard to care.

Talking of environmentally unfriendly, those plastic bags are non-recyclable. And lethal. People are still being suffocated the polythene way. By a psychopath on the rampage.

Meanwhile, angry but trendy Marcella and her cop colleagues wear fashionable clothes and sport sharp haircuts. The CID a la mode. Very televisual, very Nordic Noir… but not very realistic

With a dizzying number of loose ends yet to be tied up, there are only two fun-filled episodes to go. Throughout which total concentration will be essential. Enjoy.

There are 36 Comments

A cab driver reported that he'd seen a woman with a hood leaving Grace Gibson's house and putting something in the boot of her car.
Marcella was worried that she may have killed her husband's lover after suffering from one of her sinister black outs.
She presumed it was the hood of her £535 parka, made by the American clothing company Woolrich, that may have been the clue. Now the absurdly expensive item has sold out. Marcella, played by Anna Friel, has to be the most stylish detective since The Killing's Sarah Lund.
But the clothes horse copper is relieved to discover that she is not the hooded murderer after all and sits muttering "I didn't do it" rather loudly.
There are so many suspects and swerves that the story seems sometimes ludicrous. That's before we even get to the sub plots which why we need the pointless couple Yann and Matthew.
It's difficult to ignore the fact that it's all a bit bonkers, but at least it's mesmerizingly bonkers.
And if you like the theme tune, it's called Fall by The Bug.

Compelling scenes as he was exposed as a pathetic second division copycat - No he was the original murderer, that much I know. Who is baby Juliette? Peter Cullen seems to know! Could have swore the necklace was given to Leah before Grace's murder! Who is Bendik? Cant remember what's Stuart role is or why he fears Bendik anymore. Why is Yann so nasty? Why has a child been abduction? Should have make notes! I have started so I will finish but driving me mad with all the sub plots, too many.....

Previously attractive scouser who had lesbian kiss once skulks round dingy Manchester looking miserable wearing jumper she stole from a vagrant, while we're left to guess whether or not she topped her ex-husband's (who she still shags when she feels like it) lover. Also features that bloke who plays a serial killer in every ITV drama ever made, serial killing people. Hoping I'll be the next death so I don't have to watch the rest of it ...

Is Marcella, the Notting Hill noir thriller a masterpiece or just baffling? I can't really decide, but I am certain is that it's a gripping roller-coaster ride.
The police drama set in London tells the story of Marcella Backland, a former officer who tries to put her life back on track by solving a serial killer case.
Everyone's a suspect, even Marcella - played by Anna Friel - has blackouts and could have been the one who dragged out the bag. The series is awash with nail biting twists and turns, but it's all preposterous and implausible. A guilty pleasure!

Is it me or is it a bit over complicated for its own good, Scando crime is meant to be dark, yes I have read all the Jo Nesbo novels, and yes I loved The Bridge. I have an awful feeling that Brookside's finest might end on a damp squid.
The Killing (both versions are better) and so is Wallander.
I agree with Lesbians, get Anna a nice new outfit like Saga Norén and a nice Porsche and some nice jumpers like Sarah Linden and Sarah Lund.

I think they've put a lot of effort into the clothes. Marcella's natty jumpers and her trademark parka (yours for just £535), her police pal's groovy haircut. So all the Scando elements are there. But it's a genre that seems to lose something in translation. Hence, The Tunnel is nowhere near as good as The Bridge. As for Marcella, somehow Nordic Noir doesn't work so well in London.

For me this started off fantastically well but now there are too many people / sub - plots that I'm struggling to keep up. Twists and turns everywhere in this dark thriller but I will keep with it as it is definitely not the worst I've seen.

They heard my pleas and the last two episodes will be shown next Monday AND Tuesday.. this has dragged on a bit. Enjoyable but someone turned on the spurious plot generator and can't seem to turn it off

This exemplifies where Brit (especially ITV) get it so wrong. Written by 'The Bridge's' writer (which is a sublime series have to say) the production values just aren't there as in 'The Bridge.' 'The Bridge's' writer admits he's a writer period and hasn't a clue about production values, or how to apply them and leaves that to others. And it shows. There just isn't that 'touch' which the Scandi/Nordic dramas do so brilliantly well. With 'Marcella' it's all so 'trying hard but mediocre' and as ever sadly with so much Brit TV has a lame, uninspired score and titles/theme.

Switched off the theme tune - dreadful noise.
Week after week the plot thickens until, it has now reached a consistency of 'hard to keep up'.
Multiple murders, multiple sub-plots, one of which centres around a councils planning department - yawn!.
Marcella, wearing what is apparently a trendy Parka worth £535.
I would never have known. Could have been 10 Bob in the sale at C&A for all I knew.. Pay must be good down at the nick.
Don't forget, there's a helpline available for those who need help with recognizing the possible dangers surrounding strange men carrying polythene bags.

I love a bit of Scando crime. This obviously is based on those sort of books and programmes. Anyone who watched the excellent The Bridge will see where this is coming from.

But is it trying to be too complicated for its own good. I like it, but be honest everyone are you really following the plot or just pretending you are to make yourself look clever. You decide. I will stay with it, just to see if the ending us a cop out like many are.

Hmm what to say have watched every week this drama, still not sure, storyline weird, jumps from one to another just
like my last review on undercover, very dark haunting drama, find it hard to follow, not much of a story , bit confusing but hopefully after the next two nights we shall see it all come together, and not a jigsaw puzzle where bits are missing,

I will review this on Wednesday when series finally comes to an end, hopefully on a positive note

Ageing nicely in the wine cellar, we found Matt Neil (Ben Cura) trussed up in last night's penultimate episode of Marcella while the host, Henry Gibson (Harry Lloyd) serves up a cheeky little Pouilly Fume to his guests upstairs.

Chilling.

But this whole series can hardly be described as vintage TV. So who is the Tesco bag serial killer being pursued between blackouts by DS Marcella Backland? Well, we'll find out tonight and like our heroine in the parka ( come back Sarah Lund's striped sweater, all is forgiven) I lost the plot after the first ten minutes of this seven-part series.

Convoluted? Marcella has more twists and turns than the corkscrew nasty developer Henry is wielding. I guess we'll have to leave it to DI Tim Williamson (Jamie Bamber) to unmask the Grove Park serial killer.

Sorry, I just blacked out and woke up in an episode of Law and Order: UK where Jamie Bamber as DS Matt Devlin is hunting a serial killer on the mean streets of Peckham with his oppo DS Ronnie Brooks ( Bradley Walsh).

Let's get rid of all the stuff which is annoying and plain wrong about this series, unbelievable and incorrect police procedure (pulling an officer who had been retired back to investigate a murder, one where her husband is a suspect; semi formal interviews of suspects in the police canteen; constant mishandling of evidence amongst many problems).
Let's try and recall what can happen when Nordic Noir is either translated or moved country (the pointless American version of The Girl with Dragon Tattoo is a prime example).
Even in their native languages Nordic Noir dramas are dark, full of whispers, full of people who all look the same and over complicated plots.
So this leads us to Marcella. The story of a truly troubled woman with a failing and disfunctioning marriage and family who happens to be miserable, stylish and a brilliant crime solver.
This is so well done. The translation from the deep north of Scandinavia works. London has never looked so bleak and interesting.
The plots twists come deep and hard (for once I am thankful of the plot summary at the start of each episode). The acting is both explosive and compelling. The writing sharp and minimal.
The surprise is despite the Oh so many flaws, every aspect is absolutely believable.
For once, there is no see through plot.
This has been simply one of the best series on TV this year, and the best Nordic Noir series shown on British TV this year.

I tend to agree with Baser's well-argued review. Despite all of its many faults, I'm still strangely transfixed by Marcella. It's definitely too complicated by half and we mustn't put too much store by its depiction of police procedure, but it looks great and has a haunting quality that keeps you watching. Can't wait for the finale.

what happened to the taxi driver? switched dna samples, unviewed cctv, wrongful arrests, politically correct investigation team, sledge hammer wielding heroine. sounds frighteningly accurate to me. fair play Marcella is the most fearsome character since "tim cook" shotgun villain episode in the Sweeney 1975 (they share the same flip out to music). But if they were going to play fast and loose with the plot they could have allowed the underused Patrick Baladi to reprise his dance in grace's bedroom with her dress. 4 episodes would have been better but I will watch the next series of Marcella (aka incredible sulk). if john terry does retire this season they could do worse than team him up with her.

I really did not enjoy this programme. It was complicated and boring, to be honest it sent me to sleep.
I tried hard to stay awake but it could not hold my interest at all.
I enjoy a good drama but to me this was not good. It was so confusing that I couldn't stay with the story and quite frankly didn't want to.
I didn't find the carachtor Marcella convincing, just neurotic.
All in all if I never see Marcella again it will be soon enough.

After weeks of scrutinising we have our killer. Did not think it was him what a turn up. Started off not under standing it by tonight got some understanding, long winded, and dark drama just like the bridge. Anna friel great actress.

Hard to follow storyline at the beginning but finally after weeks of trying to understand we now know who did it, what I don't understand is why Marcella put plastic bag over his head and tied him up as in the previous murders, Henry Gibson was tied the same and Marcella was only one to do it.could there be two killers ?

I did like this, but on the other hand did I really get what was going on? No not really, Marcella to be honest was over complicated in its plot line. Anna Friel was great as the lead role. But many of the characters in the plot simply disappeared from the story without us ever getting to know what happened to them. Too many loose ends, a killer who we had some idea who it was, a basement guy still in the basement.
This seemed to be rushed at the end, almost like they had run out of plot and had to think of some random things to throw in at it.
I think a lot of people on social media got too caught up in this without really knowing what they were watching, I did.
My conclusion, it certainly was not anywhere near the excellent The Bridge or both US or Scando versions of The Killing.
But a damn good effort, a bit like that other one on the BBC that made little sense!!!

So, in essence, everybody murdered everybody, and Marcella was the only one at the end of it not in prison, even though she's apparently quite handy with a carrier bag and an Audi A3's boot. That lesbian kiss really ****** her up, didn't it?

Not so much a review, more a couple of questions. I can't pretend I watched with unabated attention, so maybe I missed something. But why did Marcella move Grace's body. And what was the meaning of her giving Henry Gibson the plastic bag treatment? Was she a killer too? Can anyone explain?

Exactly what I thought, there was no explanation as to why she had suddenly found some plastic bags and tied him up, then when she thought she had killed him. Then proceeded to bring him back to life. After entering the crime scene, alone, we heard nothing more of the basement guy either.

Yes why did she move the body, all we had was some stills of her in her car.

I really did not get where it was going in the end. It seemed to loose it tightness. This has got another series written all over it. I do not think it needs it. As in any other walk of life Marcella would not be allowed to have a job, let alone looking after the great Swedish, damn, I mean British public.

I loved this show, but there was too much left unexplained. One of them being the taxi driver who broke into Marcella's house and smashed her on the back of the head. She chatted to him for a bit then he went off never to be seen again. Also, I never quite worked out why Stuarts wife wasn't more horrified when he confessed some evil doings. Or did I miss crucial points there? Much of it did fall into place of course, especially when it was revealed that Slicky McSlickface (Henry Gibson, aka Game of Thrones nutter, Viserys Targaryen) was the culprit. It's nice to know I'm not alone in feeling a bit confused by it though.

I've read all comments before writing my own.
I assumed she moved the body as, at the time, she thought she was the killer?
With regard to the man in the basement didn't Henry say in his interrogation that he'd left him on a boat and when they asked if he was alive he said Yes, of course, as he was his friend.
I quite enjoyed it but seems too many characters stories left unexplained. Maybe for another series?

Well the final episode of Marcella and more loose ends than a bowel of spaghetti ! I can't say I didn't get hooked I did but I also got so confused at the storyline at times , will it get a second series ?? And if it does please please tie up all the loose ends.

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After ten years in Hollywood, Kevin returned to London to work for the Daily Mirror in a number of executive roles, including showbusiness editor and features editor. Keen to get back to writing, he became the Mirror's film and theatre critic. And in 2006 transferred to the Sunday Mirror as TV columnist. The rest is history. His last column appeared on February 21st, 2016. By an extraordinary coincidence he launched this wonderful website on the same day.
A familiar face on telly, Kevin is also a seasoned broadcaster. He is the TV critic for Channel 5's The Wright Stuff, on which his popular Talking Telly slot is aired every Friday. He is a regular contributor to Radio 5's Afternoon Edition Television Club. And he reviews the newspapers on Sky News' breakfast programme Sunrise with Eamonn Holmes.